Carnival Cruise Line and Ensemble Travel Group have announced a new multi-year preferred supplier partnership designed to expand Carnival’s distribution channel in the U.S. and Canadian agency markets and boost Ensemble members’ cruise business in the contemporary sector.
The announcement was shared with Ensemble owners and managers by Co-Presidents Libbie Rice and Lindsay Pearlman during a private session of the organization’s 2017 Ensemble Travel Group International Conference in Dallas.
Rice said the timing was right on several fronts to formalize the partnership with Carnival. “We talked during our keynote speech in Dallas about the Ensemble evolution, but that also applies to suppliers,” said Rice in a written release. “Carnival’s engaged leadership team, solid investment in agency technology, sales support, and fleet renovation, and most importantly, its clear commitment to the agency community are all key ingredients in a successful business partnership moving forward.”
Carnival joins its North American sister brands Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard, and Seabourn as part of the preferred supplier team with Ensemble Travel Group.
Ensemble’s conference runs through Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion. Earlier in the event, Rice and Pearlman gave a comprehensive update on the company as part of their keynote address, including a look at the relaunch of Ensemble Extranet, the launch of the new Susan D. Tanzman Inspiration Award, and a welcome event for 14 new preferred suppliers the group added in 2017. The event also saw the release of the 2017 Ensemble Insights Survey, in which 43 percent of Ensemble agents reported that terrorism and global instability haven’t impacted bookings.
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